Ryan LochteArmed Robbery ... Rio Cover Up?

8/14/2016 12:08 PM PDT

Ryan Lochte: Armed Robbery ... Rio Cover Up?

EXCLUSIVE

The United States Olympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee both flatly denied Ryan Lochte or any other swimmer were victims of an armed robbery ... without even speaking with any of the victims.

It's hard to believe ... no one in either organization had the ability to contact the swimmers hours after the robbery, even though all four are living in the Olympic village.

As we reported, The IOC flatly denied a robbery had taken place, despite the fact that Lochte's mom told a Fox Sports reporter about the incident ... calling it, "terrifying."

An official from the USOC tells TMZ Sports, they jumped to the conclusion nothing had happened because they couldn't confirm something had. Yet that official admitted the U.S. Committee told the IOC it didn't happen without ever speaking to anyone involved.

For it's part, the IOC apparently never tried contacting any of the victims or Lochte's mom.

It would no doubt be bad for the games if a story got out that robbers were posing as police officers in Rio, hunting down tourists and robbing them with guns to their head.